VIOFO A119 V3

[Dashmellow]

I agree with you that we would expect the name brand cards to perform well but we all know the best of cards don't always perform in all cameras. Actually for what the average camera sells for I think we aren't doing badly, but then you throw in the cards that are totally made on equipment without any human intervention then there is a problem! The manufactures know if they run off a bad batch and the public does the Quality Control they just have to reduce the price and sell off that batch while correcting the problem in the next batch changing some identifier/color scheme on the card so the public thinks it is something new and throw it on the shelves for sale. Stopping a production run and allotting the time to thoroughly run the card through inspection is something they do not want to do if at all possible. That's why when there is a problem with a particular brand of card/item that just about everyone has problems and ends up here (DCT) to figure out what is going on and basically the first thing said is usually "Have you tried a different card".

Gee, I'm not quite sure that's how quality control works. These manufacturing lines may be highly automated but they are carefully monitored at every step of the process. I'm also not so sure that major name brand memory card manufacturers are intentionally dumping second quality goods on the market at lower prices, but who knows?

 

[reverend]

Fair play to all the guys (and girls) involved in this camera, it's getting some great quality footage

 

[Lola]

Gee, I'm not quite sure that's how quality control works. These manufacturing lines may be highly automated but they are carefully monitored at every step of the process. I'm also not so sure that major name brand memory card manufacturers are intentionally dumping second quality goods on the market at lower prices, but who knows?

This will give you a good start in what really go's on.
https://www.bunniestudios.com/blog/?p=918

It's a fairly long read but well worth the time and enlightenment .

 

[Dashmellow]

This will give you a good start in what really go's on.
https://www.bunniestudios.com/blog/?p=918

It's a fairly long read but well worth the time and enlightenment .

Thanks for the article. It was all very interesting but that blog post is almost ten years old. We don't know if many of the particulars of what is being described are still at play today. Perhaps there could be a similar but different situation going on? Who knows?

Another factor is that a large percentage of the memory card industry is in Taiwan, not China as discussed in the blog post, so again, it would be difficult to apply a story from a factory floor in China from ten years ago to practices in Taiwanese factories or to the industry as a whole today.

The memory card industry seems always to be in a state of flux and cards have become basically a kind of commodity so as consumers there is much we don't know about what goes on behind the scenes. The best we can really do is share our experiences so that we become aware of problems that may arise. All in all, in nine years of purchasing memory cards specifically for use in dash cams my experience has been extremely positive. With the exception of an occasional camera/card compatibility problem I've never had an outright defective card or been sold a fake. Even my old SanDisk Ultra cards that are not supposed to work well in dash cams and have a habit of suddenly flipping into read-only mode provided tens of thousands of hours of service before they finally croaked of old age. One ran in more or less daily service for almost seven years (mobius side cam and previously elsewhere), and as far as I know vastly exceeding its rated lifespan.

 

[Hardcore]

On the last few trips out, i used the "Video protect" button to save some clips in particular.
I've just popped my micro SD card into my PC and i'm looking for the clips but not sure how to recognise them from the others.
There is a folder named RO however the videos in there are ones saved by my G sensor and not by the button.

 

[CaptureYourAction]

On the last few trips out, i used the "Video protect" button to save some clips in particular.
I've just popped my micro SD card into my PC and i'm looking for the clips but not sure how to recognise them from the others.
There is a folder named RO however the videos in there are ones saved by my G sensor and not by the button.

The videos in the RO folder should contain manually saved files as well (those saved from pressing the ! button). If not, maybe you pressed the button after a new file already started and the file after the incident is in the RO folder? If so, just look for the file name just before that one in the DCIM folder.

 

[Hardcore]

The videos in the RO folder should contain manually saved files as well (those saved from pressing the ! button). If not, maybe you pressed the button after a new file already started and the file after the incident is in the RO folder? If so, just look for the file name just before that one in the DCIM folder.

I've just looked at all the clips there and not a single one from me pressing the button is there. Neither are any clips, before or after i pressed the button. Only the ones from the G sensor (potholes in the road)
Hopefully it's not a bug.

 

[CaptureYourAction]

I've just looked at all the clips there and not a single one from me pressing the button is there. Neither are any clips, before or after i pressed the button. Only the ones from the G sensor (potholes in the road)
Hopefully it's not a bug.

When you pressed the ! button to save the file, did you hear the beeping and or the ! icon on the LCD screen telling you it's saving the file?

 

[smuperman]

My A119 V3 arrived today.

I tested a 128 GB Kingston Endurance and a 64 GB Samsung Pro, both work fine so far.

I read this in a review "The EVA foam is for dampening vibrations between the GPS mount and the A119 V3 "

Never used that with the A119s. I do not even know how to use that and what would be the improvement?

 

[Hardcore]

When you pressed the ! button to save the file, did you hear the beeping and or the ! icon on the LCD screen telling you it's saving the file?

I don't recall now you mention that with the noise. I'll check properly tomorrow. But the way mines is positioned behind the mirror, it's not possible for me to see the LCD screen when driving sadly.

 

[CaptureYourAction]

I don't recall now you mention that with the noise. I'll check properly tomorrow. But the way mines is positioned behind the mirror, it's not possible for me to see the LCD screen when driving sadly.

Maybe it's possible you pressed the wrong button?

 

[Dashmellow]

I don't recall now you mention that with the noise. I'll check properly tomorrow. But the way mines is positioned behind the mirror, it's not possible for me to see the LCD screen when driving sadly.

Try some experimentation when you are parked and can see your camera. Format your card in the camera and then try saving some protected files so that they will be the only ones saved to your card. Then examine your card and see what is on there. You can also try triggering the G-sensor with a good tap of a finger and see what happens with those too. As @CaptureYourAction mentioned already, everything should end up in your RO (read-only) folder.

 

[Dashmellow]

Fair play to all the guys (and girls) involved in this camera, it's getting some great quality footage

If this cam is as reliable long term as the video results appear to be so far it will be the one to beat, both performance and price wise. After many years of seeing dash cam models come and go like the seasons it's nice to see a manufacturer continuing to tinker with and improve an already successful product.

 

[Kremmen]

I read this in a review "The EVA foam is for dampening vibrations between the GPS mount and the A119 V3 "

Never used that with the A119s. I do not even know how to use that and what would be the improvement?

The unit to mount is plastic against plastic. There have been reports involving all A119 models that some vibration noise (tapping) can be picked up by the microphone and the foam eliminates this. I don't have my mic active but I fitted the foam anyway as the V3 I got had a very small (and I mean small) left to right wobble and I was concerned this may cause video vibration over rough roads.

 

[BlackRose67]

If this cam is as reliable long term as the video results appear to be so far it will be the one to beat, both performance and price wise. After many years of seeing dash cam models come and go like the seasons it's nice to see a manufacturer continuing to tinker with and improve an already successful product.

I have no qualms with the longevity of the VIOFO dashcam products.

The A118C that I bought in January 2016 is still going strong and operating problem free in my friends daughter's vehicle.

 

[Tractor]

The tapping noise if any is usually due to either not using the EVO foam or not fitting it correctly.

 

[smuperman]

How is the EVO foam fitted? Do you put it on the Dashcam or onto the gps mount? And the cut-outs don't fit at all?

 

[jokiin]

How is the EVO foam fitted? Do you put it on the Dashcam or onto the gps mount? And the cut-outs don't fit at all?

there's a how-to video here somewhere, I think @OCD Tronic did it

 

[OCD Tronic]

there's a how-to video here somewhere, I think @OCD Tronic did it

 

[smuperman]

Ah thank you, found it. Onto the Dashcam. Always tried to fit it onto the mount.